Semi-bulk with liner

ABSTRACT

A plastic or like material liner inserted within a fabric type bulk bag so that the liner is secured in position within the bag with an adhering means along substantially the outer surface of the liner for adhering to the inner most surface of the bulk bag at strategic points, and a second adhering means for adhering the lower portion of the bulk bag to the liner at substantially the point of exit of bulk contained within the bag, so that release bulk from a lower spout would not tend to dislodge the liner from its lined position within the bag. The invention would also include the process for inserting the liner within the bag which would include inserting the liner to the body portion of the bag; closing off the lower most exit chute of the liner; forcing a pressurized air to the liner so that the liner is inflated within the bag; maneuvering the liner within the bag while inflated to assure that the liner is substantially free of creases or void space between the liner and the bag; deflating the bag and liner while the liner is in position within the exterior bag.

This is a .Iadd.reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,291 which is a.Iaddend.continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 000,059 filedon Jan. 2, 1987 now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

1. Field of the Invention;

The present invention relates to semi-bulk bags. More particularly, thepresent invention relates to a semi-bulk bag having an exterior fabriclayer and an interior polyethlene liner glued therein for assuringmaintenance of the liner while the contents of the bag are dumped, andalso provides for a process to assure the liner in proper positionwithin the bag.

2. General Background:

In the art of transporting of dry, free-flowing bulk materials such assugar, flour, resins, etc., or even certain waste products, the use ofbulk bags are well known to the industry, the bags consisting primarilyof an upper receiving portion for receiving contents within the bag. Thebag is then transported and a lower discharge outlet which would besealed during transport is opened into a receiving bin, and the contentswould be poured therefrom through the discharge outlet. In addition,material fabric bulk bags may be required to have an inner polyethyleneliner for complete moisture, or contamination control, or federalrequirements are such that the contents such as food products must besealed within the polyethylene liner for purpose of purity as opposed toa plain fabric bag.

Although this type of system is common in the industry, there areseveral shortcomings in the present state of the art which needaddressing. In particular, in the system whereby the polyethylene lineris insertable into the exterior fabric bag, the liner, of course, oftentimes is simply a cylindrical continuous wall liner, which is insertedinto the bag and tied off at the bottom end, with the contents pouredinto the top neck of the liner. As the inner liner fills out withcontents, it theoretically fills out into the exterior fabric bag fortransport. However, what often occurs is that as the liner is receivingthe product, folds or creases in the liner prevent it from conforming tothe shape of the exterior bag, and therefore the result is a voidbetween the liner and the fabric bag, which is not filled, and thereforeless contents are carried in the bag as would normally be available.

Perhaps a more significant problem is the problem encountered upon thebag releasing its contents through the lower discharge outlet as wasdescribed earlier. As the contents pour from the fabric bag and theliner, because the fact that the liner is not secured within the bag,the result is often that the liner itself will be pulled from the bagthrough the force of the pouring contents, and as often occurs, theliner itself would drop into the container, whether it be a bin oranother type of receiving container. This, of course, is particularlyundesirable in view of the fact the contents, which often times may befood substances, have in effect, become contaminanted by the liner beingallowed to reside in the bin following pouring of the contentstherefrom.

There are several patents which have been discovered as a result of asearch of the art on the subject of liners and method of securing linerswithin an exterior of the frames, the most pertinent being as follows:

U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,694 issued to Okushita, entitled "Apparatus ForFabricating A Bag And Box Package", relates to a bag made ofsubstantially rectangular superimposed layers of flexible materialhermetically sealed and upon inflation of the bag, the bag comes intoclose contact with the box ready to receive the desired product througha filament attached thereto.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,906 issued to Krein, entitled "Free StandingWaterproof Lining For Truck Industry", relates to a method of installinga continuous moisture proof film liner within a conventional cargotrailer by blowing a gentle stream of air into the bag as sufficienttension is applied to the upper edge and surface to direct the air intothe rear of the trailer. It would simply be adhered to place via contactwith the sides and the top of the container.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,154 issued to Breckmuller, entitled "Process AndApparatus For Manufacturing Bags Comprising a Liner Bag Which ProtrudesFrom The Opening", involves a process which is related to the bagconstruction as to the inclusion of a liner bag within an exterior bag.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,798 issued to Wicks, entitled "Method Of MakingPlastic-Lined Burlap Bag", teaches a method of forming a line bagextruding a strip of thermal plastic adhesive along an edge of a pieceof bag allowing it to dry and forming a bag with the external stitchside and bottom seams with the adhesive strips along the outer edge ofthe open top.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,275 issued to Bolling, et al, entitled "Bags WithFilm Liners And Method Of Making, relates to a method of making a bagwhereby flat non-gusseted plastic film tubing heat sealed transverselythe tube length and can be combined with the Weber paper and aconventional bag machine to form a bag with a film liner.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,379 issued to Williamson, entitled "ReinforcedContainer For Bulk Material", relates to a container in the manufacturethereof for a reinforced receptacle for containing bulk material havinga coextruded plastic multiplied tube having at least an inner and outerply and having an upper and lower end with the reinforced sheet wrappedaround the multiplied tube and encompassing the tube from the lower endto a hide-away so that the receptacle is filled with the bulk material.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The apparatus and process of the present invention solves the problemsconfronted in the present state of the art in a simple andstraightforward manner. What is provided is a plastic or like materialliner inserted within a fabric type bulk bag so that the liner issecured in position within the bag with a first adhering means atstrategic points along the outer surface of the liner for adhering tothe inner most surface of the bulk bag, and a second adhering means foradhering the lower portion of the bulk bag to the liner at substantiallythe point of exit of bulk contained within the bag, so that release ofbulk from a lower discharge spout would allow the liner to remain inposition within the bag. The invention would also include the processfor inserting the liner within the bag which would include inserting theliner through the body portion of the bag; closing off the lower mostdischarge spout of the liner; forcing pressurized air into the liner sothat the liner is inflated within the bag; maneuvering the liner withinthe bag while inflated to assure that the liner is substantially free ofcreases or void space between the liner and the bag; deflating the bagand liner while the liner is in position within the exterior bag.

Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention is toprovide a bulk bag having a plastic liner therein, with the liner havinga bottom discharge outlet so that when removal of bulk is achieved theliner is maintained within the exterior bag;

It is still a principal object of the present invention to provide aprocess for installing a liner within an outer fabric bulk bag in such amanner so that there are no void spaces between the liner and the bagwhen the bulk is received into the bag;

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide anadhering means between the exterior fabric bulk bag and an interiorplastic liner so that upon the liner making substantial contact with theinner surface of the bag the liner is adhered to the inner surface atstrategic points so as to avoid any movement or flow of the liner out ofthe bag as contents within the bulk bag are removed;

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide aprocess for enabling a liner within a bulk bag to be positioned withinthe bulk bag prior to utilization of the bulk bag in such a manner thatthe liner conforms substantially to the shape of the bulk bag when thebulk bag is filled with bulk product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall side view of the bulk bag containing a liner in thepreferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a bulk bag containing a liner in thepreferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side partial cut-away view of the bulk bag wherein a lineris being inserted therein;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view along lines 4--4 in FIG. 1illustrating the adhering contact between the bulk bag and the liner;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a bulk bag while bulk is beingdumped therefrom; and

FIG. 6 is a view of the present state of the art indicating the movementof the liner out of a bulk bag during dumping of the bulk therefrom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate the apparatus and the process of the presentinvention with the bulk bag being illustrated by the numeral 10. As seenin FIG. 1, bulk bag 10 would comprise an outer fabric bag 12 when filledwith bulk substantially comprising an upright bag having four sides 14,16, 18 and 20 and a substantially flat bottom portion 22 and an upperportion 24, which can be in several forms such as, cone-shaped, withfull spout, flat-shaped with full spout, or full-open duffle style,having an upper open end 26 therein, the wall portions, floor portionsand cone portion of the bag defining an interior storage space 27therein for storage of the bulk. For purposes of description the bulkbag is a typical type of bag utilized in the transport of bulk throughthe open end 26 allowing the flow of contents from a chute 28, with thecontents flowing into the bag as indicated by arrows 30. Bulk bag 10would normally be comprised of a plain or coated fabric which could besewn or adhered to form the bag itself having a sleeve lift 32 at eachof its upper corners for lifting and placing in position duringtransport.

As seen in FIG. 1, also bulk bag 10 after being filled with bulk hasbeen rested upon a pallet 34 which is quite standard in the art, but notnecessary to the art, so that it may be lifted and moved elsewhere in awarehouse or the like.

As was discussed earlier, bulk bag 10 would serve as an outer fabriccontainer for the bulk contained within bulk space 27. For use with thepresent invention would be of the type of a storage bulk bag which wouldfurther comprise an interior heavy plastic or polyethlene liner 50, theliner 50 as seen for example in FIG. 1 having an upper neck portion 52which would extrude out of the opening 26 in bulk bag 10 and surroundthe pour spout 28 so that any contents poured within the bulk bag ofcourse would pour within liner 50. Liner 50 of course will be utilizedin most instances where sensitive bulk such as food or the like must notmake contact with the exterior bag 10. As seen in the FIGURES, since infact the bulk bag 10 would be the type of bulk bag that would releaseits contents from a discharge outlet 29 as seen in FIG. 2, again liner50 would have a lower neck portion 54 which would extrude out from thebottom spout 29 of bulk bag 10 so that as the contents pour from thebulk bag 10 they would pour from spout 54 into a receiving bin forstorage after transport.

There is nothing unconventional in regard to an exterior bulk bag suchas bulk bag 10 having an interior lining such as lining 50 therewithin;that structure being known in the art. The combination which isconcerned in the present invention is the method of making, and themethod of inserting the liner within bulk bag 10 to assure that theliner is conformed to the shape of bulk bag 10 and is not released asthe contents of the bulk bag are released through spout 54.

Turning now to FIG. 3, one of the means for achieving this end wouldinclude a air blower 60 having an extendible air conveying portion 62with the air blower 60 operated by a motor the like 64 for conveying airdown portion 62 as indicated by the direction of arrows 66. Bulk bag 10as seen in the FIGURE would be inserted onto the end portion 69 of airconveying section 62, after liner 50 has been inserted into the bulkbag, with the liner 50 tied off via a tie string or the like 73 at point69. The lower most bottom spout 54 of liner 50 has been tied off so thatany air received within liner 50 is therefore unable to flow through thebag in the process. After the bulk bag and liner which would normally bein the collapsed position are placed on lower extension 62, air is thenforced into the bulk bag and liner and the liner within the bulk bagbegins to expand with the bulk bag and to conform to the shape and sizeof the bulk bag as indicated by arrows 72 in FIG. 3. During the processwhile the liner is being blown to conform to the bag, it may benecessary that the liner in the bag being adjusted by pounding orshifting so that one is assured that the exterior wall 51 of liner 50conforms to the inner wall 11 of bulk bag 10. Therefore, once the lineris in place one is assured that when contents are poured into the bagthe liner will conform to the shape of the bulk bag.

Following the inflation of the liner within bulk bag 10 and theconforming of the shapes, blower 60 is then turned to the off position,the bag and liner are removed from the extension 62, and the bulk bagwith liner contained therein are folded and may be stacked for furtheruse in the future.

Prior to the inflation of the liner within the bulk bag, as seen in FIG.3, it is necessary that there be achieved a means for maintaining theliner within the bulk bag after it has achieved its inflation againstthe wall of the bulk bag so that when the contents are removed from thebulk bag to the lower spout 54, the liner is maintained in place. Themeans for achieving this is illustrated in particularly in FIGS. 3 and4, which illustrates that a continuous layer of glue 68, (which may beof the type which is quick drying upon contact) is placed along theinterior wall portion 11 of he bulk bag 10 at approximately the pointadjacent the upper shoulders 13 where the top portion 24 is joined tothe wall portion of the bag, so that preferably continuous adhesionmeans 70 is defined at that point, although the adhesion means must besufficient to maintain the liner in place. Further, a second layer ofglue to define a second adhesion means is placed on the interior 11 ofbulk bag 10 as indicated in FIG. 2 forming preferably a continuouscircle of glue 71 around the pour spout 29 of bulk bag 10. Althoughpreferably the portion of the adhesion layers are along the top and exitpoint of the bag, it is understood that the glue could be applied inother strategic areas, the result intended to maintain the liner inplace.

Therefore, after the glue has been applied as a continuous adhesionmeans 70 of the upper portion of the bag and means 71 on the lower mostportion of the bag, upon inflation of the liner within the bulk bag, theliner 50 is forced to make contact with the inner surface 11 of bulk bag10 and therefore an adhesion occurs and those two strategic points asseen in FIG. 4. It should be noted that the adhesion between the innerliners and the bag is accomplished by the glue, and there is no need forstitching, taping or other contact means between the liner and the bag.Therefore, upon contents being poured into the bag and out of the bag asseen in FIG. 5, the removal of the contents will not allow folding andslippage of the interior liner 50 but it will be retained in placeduring the removal process.

FIG. 6 has been included in the FIGURES to illustrate the results whichoften occur to liner 50 prior to the present invention, when liner 50simply was placed within bag 10. Upon removal of the contents, liner 50tends to follow the movement of the contents 80 out of bulk bag 10 andoften times extruded into the materials contained in the receiving binor worse yet, was pulled completed from the bulk bag and resided in thecontents thus causing perhaps possible contamination of the contents.

As was stated earlier, the critical steps of the placement of anadhesion means within the interior of the outer bulk bag 10 to adhere tothe inner liner upon inflation and to remain adhered during the shipmentand pouring of the bulk out of the bag solves one problem confronted,and the fact that the liner is inflated within the bulk bag so that itwould conform to the shape of the bulk bag and avoid any possibility ofvoid spaces between the liner and the bulk bag solves the secondproblem, which the overall apparatus and process for achieving theseends have been discussed herein.

Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within thescope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because manymodifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed inaccordance with the descriptive requirement of the law, it is to beunderstood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as invention is:
 1. A storage bag for transporting bulkmaterial, the bag having an upper inlet opening, the bag comprising:(a)an exterior fabric bag portion comprising a plurality of wall portions,a floor portion and a top portion, all defining a bulk storage spacetherewithin; (b) a collapsed interior plastic-like liner means containedwithin the bag portion and at least comprising a continuous wallportion, for storing bulk material therein; (c) glue circumferentiallyplaced on the wall portions of the exterior bag portion along the bulkstorage space in at least two spaced apart positions, a first positionbeing adjacent and surrounding the upper inlet opening, serving as apermanent adhesive contact between the wall portion of the interiorliner means and the wall portions of the exterior bag portion, so thatthe collapsed interior liner means adheres to the wall portions of theexterior bag portion when the collapsed interior liner means expands andmakes contact with the wall portions of the exterior bag portion; and(d) means associated with the collapsed interior liner means forproviding that the wall portion of the collapsed interior liner meanssubstantially conforms to and abuts against the wall portions of theexterior bag portion when the interior liner means expands and makescontact with the exterior bag portion.
 2. The storage bag in claim 1,wherein the exterior bag portion comprises a shoulder portion where thetop portion meets the wall portions, and the circumferentially placedglue at the first position comprises a continuous layer of glue and thefirst position is adjacent the shoulder portion.
 3. The storage bag inclaim 1, wherein the interior liner means conforms to the shape of theexterior bag portion during transport of bulk material therein.
 4. Astorage bag for transporting bulk material therein of the typecomprising an exterior fabric bag portion having a top portion, aplurality of wall portions including an upper portion adjacent the topportion, and a floor portion, all defining a storage space therewithin,and including an inlet opening on the top portion and an outlet openingon the floor portion, the storage bag comprising:(a) a free-forminterior plastic liner positioned within the exterior bag portion andincluding a continuous wall portion, for housing bulk material storedtherein, the free-form interior liner conforming to the shape of thewall portions of the exterior bag portion when bulk material is added tothe storage space and contained within the exterior bag portion; and (b)a layer of glue circumferentially applied upon the wall portions of theexterior bag portion along the storage space in two spaced apartpositions, at least one position being adjacent to the inlet opening atthe upper portion, so that when the free-form interior .[.line.]..Iadd.liner .Iaddend.is expanded to conform to the shape of the exteriorbag portion, the wall portion of the free-form interior liner adheres tothe wall portions of the exterior bag portion where the glue has beenapplied to prevent the free-form interior liner from moving out of theoutlet opening on the floor portion of the exterior bag portion as bulkmaterial is emptied therefrom, the glue serving as a permanent adhesivecontact between the wall portion of the interior liner and the wallportions of the exterior bag portion.
 5. A storage bag for transportingbulk material, the bag having an upper inlet opening and a lower.[.outer.]. .Iadd.outlet .Iaddend.opening, the bag comprising:(a) anexterior fabric bag portion comprising a plurality of wall portions, afloor portion, and a top portion all defining a bulk storage spacetherewithin; (b) an interior free-form plastic-like liner meansinsertable into the exterior fabric bag portion in a collapsedconfiguration and when expanded conformable to fit the configuration ofthe exterior fabric bag portion, the interior plastic-like liner meansat least comprising a continuous wall portion, for storing bulk materialtherein; (c) glue circumferentially placed on the wall portions of theexterior bag portion along the bulk storage space in at least two spacedapart positions, at least one position being adjacent one of the upperopening, serving as a permanent adhesive contact between the wallportion of the interior liner means and the wall portions of theexterior bag portion, so that the interior liner means adheres to thewall portions of the exterior bag portion when the interior liner meansexpands from the collapsed configuration and makes contact with the wallportions of the exterior bag portion; and (d) means associated with theinterior liner means for providing that the wall portion of the interiorliner means substantially conforms to and abuts against the wallportions of the exterior bag portion when the interior liner means makescontact with the exterior bag portion. .Iadd.6. A storage bag fortransporting bulk material, the bag having an upper inlet opening, thebag comprising: (a) an exterior fabric bag portion comprising aplurality of wall portions, a floor portion and a top portion, alldefining a bulk storage space therewithin; (b) a collapsed interiorplastic-liner means contained within the bag portion and at leastcomprising a continuous wall portion, for storing bulk material therein;(c) glue circumferentially placed on the wall portions of the exteriorbag portion along the bulk storage space in at least a first positionadjacent and surrounding the upper inlet opening, serving as a permanentadhesive contact between the wall portion of the interior liner meansand the wall portions of the exterior bag portion, so that the collapsedinterior liner means adheres to the wall portions of the exterior bagportion when the collapsed interior liner means expands and makescontact with the wall portions of the exterior bag portion; and (d)means associated with the collapsed interior liner means for providingthat the wall portion of the collapsed interior liner meanssubstantially conforms to and abuts against the wall portions of theexterior bag portion when the interior liner means expands and makescontact with the exterior bag portion. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7. The storagebag in claim 6, wherein the exterior bag portion comprises a shoulderportion where the top portion meets the wall portions, and thecircumferentially placed glue at the first position comprises acontinuous layer of glue and the first position is adjacent the shoulderportion. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. The storage bag in claim 6, wherein theinterior liner means conforms to the shape of the exterior bag portionduring transport of bulk material therein. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. A storagebag for transporting bulk material therein of the type comprising anexterior fabric bag portion having a top portion, a plurality of wallportions including an upper portion adjacent the top portion, and afloor portion, all defining a storage space therewithin, and includingan inlet opening on the top portion and an outlet opening on the floorportion, the storage bag comprising:(a) a free-form interior plasticliner positioned within the exterior bag portion and including acontinuous wall portion, for housing bulk material stored therein, thefree-form interior liner conforming to the shape of the wall portions ofthe exterior bag portion when bulk material is added to the storagespace and contained within the exterior bag portion; and (b) a layer ofglue circumferentially applied upon the wall portions of the exteriorbag portion along the storage space in at least one position adjacentone of the openings, so that when the free-form interior liner isexpanded to conform to the shape of the exterior bag portion, the wallportion of the free-form interior liner adheres to the wall portions ofthe exterior bag portion where the glue has been applied to prevent thefree-form interior liner from moving out of the outlet opening on thefloor portion of the exterior bag portion as bulk material is emptiedtherefrom, the glue serving as a permanent adhesive contact between thewall portion of the interior liner and the wall portions of the exteriorbag portion. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. A storage bag for transporting bulkmaterial, the bag having an upper inlet opening and a lower outletopening, the bag comprising:(a) an exterior fabric bag portioncomprising a plurality of wall portions, a floor portion, and a topportion all defining a bulk storage space therewithin; (b) an interiorfree-form plastic-like liner means insertable into the exterior fabricbag portion in a collapsed configuration and when expanded conformableto fit the configuration of the exterior fabric bag portion, theinterior plastic-like liner means at least comprising a continuous wallportion, for storing bulk material therein; (c) glue circumferentiallyplaced on the wall portions of the exterior bag portion along the bulkstorage space in at least one position adjacent one of the openings,serving as a permanent adhesive contact between the wall portion of theinterior liner means and the wall portions of the exterior bag portion,so that the interior liner means adheres to the wall portions of theexterior bag portion when the interior liner means expands from thecollapsed configuration and makes contact with the wall portions of theexterior bag portion; and (d) means associated with the interior linermeans for providing that the wall portion of the interior liner meanssubstantially conforms to and abuts against the wall portions of theexterior bag portion when the interior liner means makes contact withthe exterior bag portion. .Iaddend.